diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_mempool.h b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_mempool.h
index 88650719712..3fab77f2cb2 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_mempool.h
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/BLI_mempool.h
@@ -67,6 +67,10 @@ void      **BLI_mempool_as_tableN(BLI_mempool *pool, const char *allocstr) ATTR_
 void        BLI_mempool_as_array(BLI_mempool *pool, void *data) ATTR_NONNULL(1, 2);
 void       *BLI_mempool_as_arrayN(BLI_mempool *pool, const char *allocstr) ATTR_MALLOC ATTR_WARN_UNUSED_RESULT ATTR_NONNULL(1, 2);
 
+#ifdef DEBUG
+void        BLI_mempool_set_memory_debug(void);
+#endif
+
 /** iteration stuff.  note: this may easy to produce bugs with **/
 /* private structure */
 typedef struct BLI_mempool_iter {
diff --git a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/BLI_mempool.c b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/BLI_mempool.c
index 8301a7df35b..067ddf91794 100644
--- a/source/blender/blenlib/intern/BLI_mempool.c
+++ b/source/blender/blenlib/intern/BLI_mempool.c
@@ -66,6 +66,10 @@
 /* when undefined, merge the allocs for BLI_mempool_chunk and its data */
 // #define USE_DATA_PTR
 
+#ifdef DEBUG
+static bool mempool_debug_memset = false;
+#endif
+
 /**
  * A free element from #BLI_mempool_chunk. Data is cast to this type and stored in
  * #BLI_mempool.free as a single linked list, each item #BLI_mempool.esize large.
@@ -342,6 +346,11 @@ void BLI_mempool_free(BLI_mempool *pool, void *addr)
 			BLI_assert(!"Attempt to free data which is not in pool.\n");
 		}
 	}
+
+	/* enable for debugging */
+	if (UNLIKELY(mempool_debug_memset)) {
+		memset(addr, 255, pool->esize);
+	}
 #endif
 
 	if (pool->flag & BLI_MEMPOOL_ALLOW_ITER) {
@@ -609,3 +618,10 @@ void BLI_mempool_destroy(BLI_mempool *pool)
 		MEM_freeN(pool);
 	}
 }
+
+#ifdef DEBUG
+void BLI_mempool_set_memory_debug(void)
+{
+	mempool_debug_memset = true;
+}
+#endif
diff --git a/source/creator/creator.c b/source/creator/creator.c
index b442194bd7d..a3bce79b6e7 100644
--- a/source/creator/creator.c
+++ b/source/creator/creator.c
@@ -76,13 +76,13 @@
 #include "BLI_threads.h"
 #include "BLI_utildefines.h"
 #include "BLI_callbacks.h"
+#include "BLI_blenlib.h"
+#include "BLI_mempool.h"
 
 #include "DNA_ID.h"
 #include "DNA_scene_types.h"
 #include "DNA_userdef_types.h"
 
-#include "BLI_blenlib.h"
-
 #include "BKE_blender.h"
 #include "BKE_brush.h"
 #include "BKE_context.h"
@@ -412,10 +412,13 @@ static int debug_mode(int UNUSED(argc), const char **UNUSED(argv), void *data)
 	G.debug |= G_DEBUG;  /* std output printf's */
 	printf(BLEND_VERSION_STRING_FMT);
 	MEM_set_memory_debug();
+#ifdef DEBUG
+	BLI_mempool_set_memory_debug();
+#endif
 
 #ifdef WITH_BUILDINFO
 	printf("Build: %s %s %s %s\n", build_date, build_time, build_platform, build_type);
-#endif // WITH_BUILDINFO
+#endif
 
 	BLI_argsPrint(data);
 	return 0;